Basically self-taught mixed media/collage artist - background in music,writing, musical theatre, film/TV - lover of journals,books and all things vintage. Am a Creative Life Coach - working in the Entertainment Industry in Los Angeles for thirty years with long time connection and background in children's books with The Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. Realize that the learning is in the journey with the destination being the icing on the cake.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

November Mixed Media Classes and more

Just a quick post - I'm off to a screening at the Israeli Film Festival 2008 of a documentary - Praying in Her Own Voice - about the struggle of the famed "Women of the Wall" movement. This group has spearheaded the battle for female equality in the religious world. Their main focus has been on the Western Wall (Wailing Wall in Jerusalem) - the holiest site for Jews where Orthodox, Conservative and Reform women are not allowed to gather and pray in community. For the past decade they have challenged the Israeli government and the entire Jewish world by raising a lot of media attention both through colorful protests and by their unstoppable legal battle - which has ended several times at the Israeli Supreme Court which made some very controversial rulings. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker- Ravit Markus and Myra Newman - member of the Pluralism and Religious Diversity in Israel Committee of the LA- Tel Aviv Partnership. When I was in Israel at the Wall, we were herded into a small section on the side with a tall fence dividing the main area where men and boys prayed. Mothers, sisters and other female family members were not allowed to attend their son's bar mitzvahs happening on the other side of the wall because they were women. Should be an interesting evening!

I am teaching the following classes in LA - open to traveling and teaching in your area - contact me privately to discuss -

NOVEMBER MIXED MEDIA CLASSES/WORKSHOPS - Los Angeles

Please save these dates and RSVP:

Sunday, November 9th - 1pm – 5 pm - @ VIVA Gallery upstairs studio, Sherman Oaks - $70 – MUST RSVP to me prior to class date - A GAGGLE OF BOOKS IN A BOX – in this workshop we will create 5 mini-books of various styles that are housed in a box – After picking a theme for your books through some short exercises to get your “juices going”, instruction will be given for making each book – a star book, a corrugated cardboard/paper bag book, a shipping tag book, a scroll book and an accordion book. After creating the 5 books, each student will be encouraged to collage/decorate/embellish the books and the box to reflect their own style using the five samples taught in class. The class is designed for all student levels. No prior experience required.

Miniature corrugated cardboard/paper bag book

Shipping tag mini-book

Vintage miniature star book

(photos of scroll book and accordion book will be posted later)

Saturday, November 22nd – 11 am – 4 pm - @ a studio in a private home in Thousand Oaks - $70 - MUST RSVP to me prior to class date – THEMED WALL HANGING/BANNER – this workshop will be based on the “Freedom Banner/Wall Hanging” that I created and won 3rd Place at the Art Unraveled Art Contest 2008. Consisting of four panels with hanging word tags using collage, aging materials, crackle paints, ribbons, buttons and more, this art piece addressed the idea of Freedom – both personal and political – by using a few short exercises and a guided meditation, each student will pick a theme for their project and then incorporate the words and ideas that come from the exercises while creating this paper wall hanging/banner.

Each panel begins with an ordinary collage exercise (this is panel #4)

Completed wallhanging/banner

Watch for other dates and locations – TBA… I will send photo links in the next few days but wanted to get this info out to the group – thanks!-----------------------------------------------------------------Sunday, November 2nd – Monthly gathering for So. Cal. Mixed Media Group – 1 pm – 5 pm - @ VIVA Gallery – upstairs studio in Sherman Oaks – must be approved and join the Yahoo Group connected to this group. Contact me privately for further info.

FYI - I am a Creative Life Coach (10 years), mixed media artist, published writer, and teacher. I am celebrating 30 years in the entertainment industry including TV/Film/Theatre/Music and have taught creative journal writing classes for over twenty years and mixed media classes for the past year and a half - I combine mixed media projects with thoughtful self-reflection exercises encouraging my students to dig deeper into thought as they create their art projects, thereby blending process, project and creative thought into a meaningful art piece for their personal enjoyment.